Dipper-dredge.



G. H. LUTZ.

DIPPER DREDGB.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1912.

1,088,031 Patented Feb. 24, 1914,

GEORGE H. LUTZ, OF DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA.

DIPPER-DRED GE.

noeaosi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24:, 1914:.

Application filed October 30', 1912. Serial No. 728,715.

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

citizen. of the United States, and a resident of Dahlonega, in thecounty of Lumpkin and State of Georgia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Dipper- Dredges, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to dredges operating upon the principle of ascoop or dipper for raising material, and particularly to such dredgesas are used for raising material from the bed of a body of water.

It is customary to provide dredging dippers with movable bottoms or rearends which can be opened when the dipper reaches the dumping point forthe purpose of discharging the contents. But it is difficult to effect atight closure or" dippers of this class, even by the use of expensivepackings or gaskets, and impracticable to maintain tight closureswithout repeated renewal of the packings. The result is that there ismore or less leakage in the operation of the dredge and when used inworking gold bearing deposits, the finely divided values largely escapewith the leakage.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide an absolutely tightdredging dipper and means for conveniently operating the same, both forgathering and discharging the material.

In carrying out the invention, the dipper is made with its side and endwalls permanently and hermetically united so that it will hold allmaterial which may enter it, up to its full capacity, without leakage;and to provide for dumping, the dipper is mounted and equipped to berotated upon an arms.

The invention will be fully understood upon reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a general view of a dredge in which my improvements areembodled; and Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the dipper, and a portion ofits mounting.

1 represents the dipper which has 1ts *rear end wall 2 permanently andhermetlcally united with its side walls 3 so that when the dipper iselevated, the contents W1ll not leak out. It the dipper is to beoperated 1n a more or less vertical position, as suggested in Fig. 1, itwill also have a forward wall, which will likewise be hermeticallyunlted with the side walls 8 and be suitably constructed to gather thematerial by scooping action. The dipper 1 is conveniently mounted upon abeam 5 for the purpose of directing its movements and is suitablyconnected with the operating cable 6 for imparting the scoopmg andelevating movements to the dipper. In order that the dipper may bedelivered of its contents, after it has been ra sed and swung to thedumping position, it is mounted to rotate upon an axis, preferablyextending longitudinally of the dipper. This is convenientlyaccomplished by providing the dipper with a rotating shank 7 mounted inbearings 8 upon the beam 5, and in order that the necessary rotation fordumping may be imparted to the dipper at Wlll, it is provided withrotating'means, such for instance as the gear wheel 9 on the shank 7 andthe driving pinion 10. The latter may be conveniently driven through themeans of a shaft 11, extending from any suitable source of power, suchfor instance as the prime mover 12 in the form of an electric motor. Inthe illustrative embodiment, the motor 12 is mounted on the beam 5 anddrives the shaft 11 through the medium of the gearing 13. To avoidinterfering with the rotation of the dipper 1 by the driving connection6, the dipper is supported by said driving connection, through themedium of the endless belt 14, preferably in the form of a chain,passing through the pulley 15 and around the dipper 1, so that thedipper may freely turn when desired. To confine the chain againstdisplacement upon the dipper, when the draftis more or less in thedirection of the axis of the dipper, the dipper is equipped with curbing16, conven iently provided from angle-iron.

With the dipper constructed and operated as above described, the finematerial, in which the values mainly lie in gold dredging, for instance,is entirely saved.

I claim 1. In a dredge, a dipper having hermetically united confiningwalls, a rotary mounting for said dipper comprising a non revolubleoscillating beam, an operating connection for oscillating said beam withthe dipper and a sling through which the operating connection supportsthe dipper and which permits rotation of the dipper relatively to saidoperating connection, said rotary mounting being carried on one side ofsaid beam, said operating connect-ion having a pulley around which saidsling passes, and said dipper having an external. curb means comprisingan endless belt surrounding the dipper, a pulley for said belt on saidoperating connection, and a confining curb for said belt on said dipperpermitting the bend of said belt in the vertical plane of said carrier.

The foregoing specification signed at Dahlonega Ga. this tent-h day ofAugust,

GEORGE H. LUTZ. In presence of two witnesses: WM. S. HUFF, H. D. GURLEY.

Copies of 1:111: patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

